2015 Infiniti Q50 3.7 AWD Limited Edition Road Test Review

2015 Infiniti Q50 3.7 AWD Limited Edition Road Test Review

By: Trevor Hofmann

2015-08-15

Infiniti replaced its much loved and much lauded G37 with the all-new Q50 in late 2013 as a 2014 model, and we covered a number

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of trim levels. The first one I drove and reviewed was a Q50 Hybrid, while my colleague followed that one up with a Q50 AWD Premium and I followed him up with a different slant on the same car. It took us until February of this year to get my 2015 Q50 3.7 AWD review published, and here we are again with a very nicely equipped 2015 Q50 3.7 AWD Limited Edition.

In case you’re curious, Infiniti’s Canadian division offers the conventionally powered Q50 in five trim levels for 2015, last year’s Premium designation now off the menu and my latest tester’s Limited trim on. The rundown is as follows: Q50 3.7, Q50 3.7 AWD, Q50 3.7 Limited, Q50 3.7 AWD Sport, and Q50 3.7 Sport, while the Q50 Hybrid AWD can only be had in one well-equipped so-named model.

Fine-tuning

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the trim levels doesn’t seem to be affecting 2015 sales one iota, which reached 1,555 units for the first six months of this year and are therefore on target to match 2014’s 3,242 units. I’m going to guess that you already know Q50 sales numbers don’t come anywhere near its German competitors (although the numbers are a touch misleading as BMW sells three separate 3 Series models, Mercedes two C-Class body styles and Audi two A4 iterations, whereas there’s only one single Q50 four-door sedan), but amongst Japanese, Swedish and US rivals it fares pretty well. Acura’s all-new TLX wasn’t on the market for a full year so last year’s 2,121 sales aren’t likely fair to compare, and like those Germans, Lexus’ 3,945 IS sales had a little help from the IS C hardtop convertible model. Likewise

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it took combined sales of a new sport coupe together with the sedan for Cadillac’s ATS to surpass the Q50 with 3,714 sales, while Volvo’s S60 didn’t even come close with just 1,916 deliveries and Buick only accounted for 816 new Regal buyers in 2014. In this respect I like where Infiniti’s Q50 sits within its market. Its 3k-plus Canadian sales mean that it’s popular enough to achieve a collective nod of approval from premium buyers, yet it’s not so ubiquitous to lose its exclusive appeal.

No doubt Infiniti would find a way to deal with the “problem” of being too popular, and

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its Q50 is certainly deserving of a bigger spike on the sales charts. If its superb styling doesn’t grab your attention, nor its impressive detailing inside, then all you need do is factor in its value proposition to figure out that you’re missing a lot of key features if you pay $37,500 for any of its competitors’ compact four-door sedans. That’s possible, by the way, unless you’re determined to pay through the nose for a three-pointed star. Even if you do you’ll be getting a 241 horsepower four-cylinder under the hood starting at $43k, while BMW’s $35,990 320i sounds great on paper until you read the 181 horsepower fine-print. It’ll take a move up to the $39,900 328i to match M-B’s 241 horsepower with the Bavarian turbo-four, while Audi’s A4 splits the difference at $38,500, albeit offering a 220 horsepower four banger driving the front wheels.

As

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you may have guessed by all those 3.7s in the Q50 model names above, the $37,500 Q50 hits the road running with a 3.7-litre V6, boasting no less than 328 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque connecting through to a seven-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift control and class-exclusive downshift rev matching, driving the rear wheels instead of those up front, which is proper in the premium class. The German four-cylinder models will counter with better fuel economy numbers than the Q50’s five-cycle EnerGuide rating of 12.0 L/100km city and 8.1 highway with rear-drive or 12.5 and 8.7 in AWD guise, and while this is important when it comes to meeting ever-stricter governmental regulations, ask any 320i/328i, C300 or A4 2.0 TFSI buyer if he or she’d rather be driving a 335i, C400 or S4 for the same money and you’ll get a resounding “YES!!!” 10 times out of 10. And we’re only talking powertrains.

upholstery, a powered moonroof, aluminum front doorsill kick plates featuring the Infiniti logo, automatic on/off LED headlights with integrated DRLs, front LED fog lamps, LED brake lights, LED turn signals integrated within the housings of the power heatable side mirrors, Infiniti’s amazing self-healing Scratch Shield paint, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist, stability and traction control, plus the usual assortment of airbags. Do the same with the Germans and they’ll come up a bit short.

To be fair I should point out one feature lacking on the Q50 that all German rivals feature throughout their compact sedan trim lines, automatic idle start/stop systems that shut their respective engines down at stoplights or when they might otherwise be idling, while some also get

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regenerative braking systems that feed kinetic energy from brake pad friction to their various ancillary electrical systems to maximize fuel usage. Once again, ask any BMW, M-B or Audi buyer if they’d give up such items for six-cylinder performance at a base four-cylinder price and they’d nod their heads rapidly while emphatically asking where they needed to sign.

Of course, Infiniti shoots back with some innovative technology of its own, and not just copycat systems developed and engineered by Japanese hybrid producers. The Q50, as tested, is the only car in the world to offer Direct Adaptive Steering, a steer-by-wire system with no direct mechanical connection between steering wheel and tires. Infiniti took more than a decade to develop DAS and believe

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me it shows. It has the ability to react much quicker to steering wheel input than a conventional hydraulic- or electric-powered rack and pinion steering setup, specifically responding to what you’re doing rather than the other way around. In a nutshell, an ECU reads the amount of turn-in you’re adding to the steering wheel after which it calculates and provides the appropriate info to the steering motors. Steering feedback, which is no longer physically connected, is instead defined by an electronic control unit, as well as a camera and processing module, all determining the amount of resistance to add back to the steering wheel through a steering force actuator unit. The advantage is the system’s ability to electronically modify the steering ratio and feedback without mechanical revisions, some of that ability right at your fingertips. A chrome-detailed toggle switch

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on the lower console lets you flick through its Quick, Standard, and Casual ratios, all designed to match a driver’s varying moods, and they really do make a difference.

I should mention here that DAS in the 2015 model I drove earlier this year and in this Limited trimmed Q50 felt better than it did last year, much to do with a number of modifications made to steering and suspension tuning in all 2015 Q50 models, increasing the feel and responsiveness of the hydraulic steering system in base models and adding more feedback from the upgraded DAS setup, so that now it feels much better at high speeds and more natural through fast-paced corners. By the way, if you find the idea of direct steering a bit disconcerting, some relief should come in the knowledge that Infiniti has your back with a failsafe mechanical backup system that will take over within milliseconds if DAS were

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to have a meltdown. After more than 10 years of development it’s no doubt a safe and sound system, and I certainly never had any problems in any of the four DAS-equipped Q50s I’ve tested. All were extremely responsive to input when the Drive Mode toggle was flicked to its Quick setting, this latest 2015 model unbelievably reactive, making the Q50 feel like a much smaller, lighter car than it is, while cornering grip is shockingly good. I must admit, however, that Casual mode remains much too (yawn) relaxed for the way I prefer to drive, but I can appreciate that some Q50 owners will like it.

DAS comes as part of the $4,300 Deluxe Touring and Technology package, incidentally, which also includes a power tilt and telescopic steering column that can be automatically adjusted via the dual occupant memory system that also sets the driver’s seat and mirrors, plus gorgeous maple hardwood inlays, auto-dimming

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exterior mirrors with reverse tilt-down, rain-sensing wipers, an advanced Plasmacluster climate control system, adaptive headlights with high-beam assist, intelligent cruise control with full-speed range and distance control assist, an AroundView monitor with moving object detection, front and rear sonar, blind-spot warning and intervention, back-up collision intervention, an advanced predictive forward collision warning system with forward emergency braking that as you may have seen on Infiniti’s TV ads automatically reacts to the vehicle braking in front of the vehicle you’re following, lane departure warning and prevention with active lane control, front pre-crash

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seatbelts, and an Eco pedal system that, if engaged, will press back on the throttle if you’re trying to accelerate too quickly in order to remind you to go lighter on the environment. This package also includes 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks with a centre armrest pass-through.

I’ve gone over the base model’s features and the Deluxe Touring and Technology package upgrades, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t cover the extras that come with AWD Limited Edition trim. Most obvious, the Limited gets a stunning set of 19-inch triple five-spoke alloy rims that are worth the price of admission alone, riding on 245/40R19 Dunlop SP Sport 5000 DSST CTT all-season run-flat performance tires that provide an asymmetrical tread pattern for strong grip on wet or dry surfaces, plus a unique rear spoiler that adds to this Q50’s sportier look. Additional kit includes leather upholstery, heatable front seats, Infiniti’s InTouch

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navigation system with touchscreen lane guidance and 3D building graphics, NavTraffic, a one-year subscription to Infiniti Connection that allows automatic collision notification, drive zone monitoring and destination assistance, not to mention smartphone connectivity to the infotainment system’s various functions, a 14-speaker Infiniti Studio on Wheels by Bose audio upgrade with satellite radio, and more.

This impressive list of extras plus all of the aforementioned standard gear comes on a body that looks like it was created by the gods (don’t let that go to your head Mr. Baek), with a beautifully shaped grille and front fascia that’s setting the tone for the entire brand, jeweled headlamps that glitter like crystal, muscularly animalistic curves, bends and

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folds from front to back, and LED taillights that might only get upstaged by the fat dual chromed tailpipes set within the diffuser-style lower valance.

Inside it gets a premium treatment that upstages others in the segment, particularly Audi’s A4 that matches the quality of soft-touch synthetic surfaces used for the dash top and partway down the instrument panel, although similarly to the four-ringed German the Q50 also does out its lower dash in harder plastic and lower sides of the centre console, but rather than edging the top of the lower console in premium plastics, Audi goes further down market by covering the entire A4 console in a less impressive material, not to mention its hard and hollow sounding glove box lid that’s done out in higher quality soft synthetic in the Q50, although

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to Audi’s credit the A4’s door panels get premium plastic from top to bottom, aluminum and/or wood embellishment aside, whereas Infiniti finishes off the Q50’s lower door panels in a harder variety of composite.

On that note the padded inserts in the Q50 are very upscale and its wood and brushed metal inlays are particularly nice. De rigueur in the class are fabric-wrapped pillars front to rear and the Q50 doesn’t disappoint, while the Infiniti’s switchgear is easily up to Audi’s standard, which unfortunately means that not all switches are as well made as Infinitis past, especially the row of audio buttons and single volume dial towards the bottom of the centre stack, which are made from hollow feeling plastic and not as tightly fitted as I remember previous Infinitis being.

I

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suppose I should go easy on Infiniti considering my Q50 tester’s sub-$50k window sticker, the final tally with all extras included being $49,685, plus of course freight and pre-delivery prep that adds an extra $1,995 to the total, $100 less than Audi’s destination charge by the way. The equivalent S4 will set you back $55,200 plus that pricier freight fee, so we can give the Q50 some slack for cutting a few corners.

I was immediately distracted by the cool purple background colour highlighting the car’s gorgeous electroluminescent primary gauges anyway, not to mention all the high-resolution coloured graphics on the dual-screen infotainment system that had me quickly forgetting that the Q50 did away with the G37’s beautifully detailed

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analog clock at dash central. The nicely detailed rotating infotainment system controller on the lower console makes up for that omission handily, while doing a brilliant job of accessing information, although big "A"s on the power window switches, denoting Automatic, are tacky and a sunglasses holder with a “nosepiece” that’s too large and cumbersome to fit regular sized sunglasses is a ridiculous design flaw. Why bother with a sunglasses holder at all? This is a carryover item from Nissan’s parts bin and someone really needs to rethink it.

The brilliant transmission lacked paddle shifters too (standard in Sport trim), while the front seats didn’t offer cooling, rear outboard seats didn’t include heaters and panoramic sunroof overhead didn’t exist. The trunk isn’t finished as nicely as its German competitors either, with a cheesy carpet over pressed cardboard panel on the upper portion and

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a cheap plastic sill protector below. My only other complaint is an Eco mode that can bog the engine down, even trying to leave the transmission in a higher gear while slowly taking off from standstill up a steep grade.

This last point and the previously mentioned Eco pedal that I really don’t like, kept me from using its most efficient driving mode, which is a shame, as I tend to use these more often than not while driving the Q50’s German rivals. This said I’m likely in the minority in this respect, especially amongst those BMW, Mercedes and Audi fans who pay more for six-cylinder power.

As you may have learned it’s difficult to get one of the aforementioned brands without all-wheel drive, reason enough for Infiniti to make its AWD system plentiful

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across the Q50 range. Infiniti dubs it Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, by the way, the intelligence coming from its ability to apportion up to 50 percent of available torque to the front wheels when needed, and better yet for performance enthusiasts, a full 100-percent to the rear wheels when the road surface isn’t slippery, thus improving high-speed handling as well as fuel-efficiency.

When push comes to shove, if you were to buy a similarly equipped premium compact from BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Audi you’d be paying upwards of $10,000 more, and it wouldn’t include a transmission that automatically matches revs when downshifting, making you sound like a professional race driver, or the Q50’s brilliantly advanced Direct Adaptive Steering system.